CARDIFF CITY v W.B.A.
Tuesday 28th January, ko 7:45pm. Live on Sky Sports Football Red Button
Cardiff striker Danny Ward is set to miss tonight's Championship clash at home to leaders West Brom. Ward was forced off with a head injury in the 1-1 draw at Birmingham nine days ago and, following concussion protocols, he was ruled out of the FA Cup fourth-round draw at Reading on Saturday.
Defender Lee Peltier should also be available after missing the tie with the Royals with a dead leg, although midfielder Joe Ralls is a doubt after coming off in that game after 30 minutes. Although boss Neil Harris made seven changes for the match at the Madejski Stadium, he is expected to revert more closely to the side that played against the Blues.
Albion will be without Semi Ajayi after the defender was sent off for two bookable offences in Saturday's 1-0 FA Cup fourth-round win at West Ham. That forces boss Slaven Bilic into one change for the trip to the Cardiff City Stadium, with Ajayi the second player out via a ban as midfielder Matheus Pereira serves the second game of a three-match suspension.
Bilic has two players sidelined through injury in midfielder Grady Diangana and full-back Kieran Gibbs, both with hamstring issues. After making eight changes for the game with the Hammers, like Harris, it is expected Bilic will again rotate his squad as he looks to end a run of six league games without a win.
Opta Stats
Cardiff's last home league match against West Brom was back in December 2013 in the Premier League - the Bluebirds won 1-0.
West Brom last completed a league double over Cardiff City back in the 1974-75 season.
Cardiff have only been defeated once at home in the Championship this season (P13 W7 D5 L1), the fewest home defeats of any side this campaign.
Since (and including) their draw at home to Brentford on December 21st, West Brom have earned just four points from six matches; only Luton (1) have picked up fewer points over this period.
Lee Tomlin has been directly involved in 11 goals (5 goals & 6 assists) in 19 Championship matches this season; in 19 League One matches last season he was involved in just three goals (2 goals & 1 assist).
West Brom are conceding 0.79 goals per game away from home in the Championship this season, compared to 1.43 per game at the Hawthorns.
Match officials:
Referee: ROBERT JONES
Assistants: Mark Russell and Mark Pottage
Fourth Official : Lee Swabey